RFID Base Station for Wireless Sensor Data Collection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional process control systems face high wiring costs and impracticality in collecting data from non-critical instruments due to slow wireless update rates and battery-powered communication methods, which are inefficient and often unreliable.
Innovation Solution
A base station with radio frequency identification (RFID) interfaces and controllers that wirelessly collect and store data from sensors, relaying it to a Distributed Control System (DCS) via a hardwired connection, using high-frequency (HF) and ultra-high frequency (UHF) RFID interfaces for pairing and data transmission, and optionally a Bluetooth interface for alerts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If wireless transmission based on Wireless HART is used to collect data from non-critical instruments, then wiring costs are reduced, but update rates become slow (once a minute) and unreliable for time-dependent data
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments data collection into two pathways: critical instruments continue to use traditional wired connections for high-speed data acquisition, while non-critical instruments use the wireless RFID-based system for cost-effective monitoring. This segmentation allows each pathway to optimize for its specific requirements without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
A wireless communication interface (RFID reader/writer) acts as an intermediary between sensors and the control system, enabling data transmission without physical wiring. This intermediary component resolves the contradiction by providing a wireless pathway that eliminates wiring costs while maintaining adequate update rates for non-critical instruments.
2Ease of operation
If battery-powered wireless communication is used for remote sensors, then installation flexibility is improved, but batteries require periodic replacement due to power consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses passive RFID technology where sensors do not require their own power sources for communication. Instead, they harvest energy from the RFID reader's electromagnetic field, allowing sensors to operate indefinitely without battery replacement while maintaining installation flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical battery-powered wireless communication system with an electromagnetic field-based RFID system. This substitution eliminates the need for batteries and periodic maintenance while preserving wireless operation and installation flexibility.
3Ease of manufacture
If multiple instruments relay data wirelessly to the DCS, then wiring requirements are reduced, but the system becomes impractical in areas where no instrumentation is required
Solution Approach 1:
The RFID reader serves as a centralized intermediary that collects data from multiple wireless sensors and transmits it to the control system. This approach eliminates the need for instrumentation relays, allowing deployment in areas without existing instruments while maintaining wiring reduction benefits.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient and cost-effective data collection from process control instruments, reducing the need for extensive wiring and battery replacement, while providing timely and reliable data access to operators for better process control system evaluation.
Implementation Method 1
the sensor has a radio frequency transmitter to send a signal to a base station
Implementation Method 2
a radio frequency identification interface to receive data from a sensor of a process control system
Data Source
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AI summary
A base station for gathering data from localized sensors is described. An example apparatus includes a sensor to be operatively coupled to field equipment, the sensor having a radio frequency transmitter to send a signal to a base station, the base station having a radio frequency interface to receive the signal from the sensor and a first controller to collect data from the signal and store the data in a memory. The apparatus further includes a second controller operatively coupled to the first controller to relay the data to an asset management system and a local control panel operatively coupled to the base station to send additional data to the base station, wherein the first controller stores the additional data in the memory.